A Critical Discourse Analysis of R-1 University Website on AI and Environmental Responsibility

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 9:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: From Authorship to Algorithm: Rethinking Policy, Integrity, and Academic Publishing in the AI Era

Abstract

As AI becomes embedded in research and institutional infrastructures, U.S. R-1 universities present themselves as leaders in innovation and sustainability. Yet, they often overlook AI’s environmental costs. This study uses Critical Discourse Analysis to examine how university websites frame AI and environmental responsibility. We find celebratory narratives that emphasize progress and global leadership while largely omitting ecological impacts. Sustainability and digital expansion are treated as separate concerns. These silences reflect dominant ideologies of techno-solutionism and neoliberal branding. We argue that such framings limit ecologically honest discourse and urge institutions to integrate environmental accountability into public narratives of critical AI literacy.

Authors

• Saesaem Yoon, University of Washington - Tacoma

• Jason Litzenberg, Pennsylvania State University